Coco the pit bull faces the jury

Readers have been asking what happened to Coco, the pit bull that broke free from its owner and attacked a 9½ pound Maltese dog named Sophie on Fulton Street two weeks ago. As you may remember, quick action by bystanders managed to save Sophie despite some horrific wounds to the throat that required over 50 stitches.

Because a quick-thinking neighbor snapped photos of the owner and her license plate as she tried to leave the scene, police were able to locate her and convince her to surrender Coco to Animal Control as a dangerous dog. The expectation was that Coco would be euthanized.

SF Chronicle: C.W. Nevius

Sophie the maltese is recovering well after a pit bull attack.

But that was before dog activists became involved. With the publicity surrounding Coco, rescue groups stepped in with the idea of saving Coco and finding an adoptive family for the dog.

Good for them if they want to do that. But as Sgt. Bill Herndon, who heads the city’s Vicious and Dangerous Animal Unit, asks if their efforts would be better directed to saving the pit bulls, not classified as dangerous, that are currently in danger of being put down in shelters.

“You get a dog like (Coco) and in the right hands it could probably be OK,” Herndon said. “My question is: Why do we want to manage a dog like that when we have so many in shelters?”

The upshot is that Coco’s case will be heard at Thursday’s vicious dog hearing in room 408 at City Hall at 2 p.m. Testimony will be given for and against Coco and it will be interesting to see how many people show up.

“Sometimes these hearings are boring and sometimes there are fireworks,” Herndon said.

Regardless, the final decision will be up to Animal Control. The unprovoked attack on Sophie makes it likely that Coco will be put down.